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Non-Chick Flick Romantic Movies For The Intolerant One In Your Life

Happy Valentines’ Day! Or not. I know a good many people who hate today, and for a variety of legitimate reasons. It commercializes love, it isolates single people, and it can wreak havoc on communication and expectations between couples. Me, I like Valentines’ Day, if only for the excuse to eat too much chocolate. My main reason for disliking Valentines’ Day is the sudden proliferation of cheap, lousy chick flicks and romantic comedies. It’s a well-known fact that I’m not a fan of romantic comedies, so here’s a little list of alternative love stories for your Valentine evening.

1. Wall-E. A robot falls in love with a dazzling visitor and travels into the depths of space to be with her. If the ending doesn’t make you cry, therapy is advised.

2. Casablanca. It’s classic for a reason. Have you seen it? You should. Seriously.

3. The Illusionist. Edward Norton’s magician risks imprisonment and death to be reunited with his childhood love. The costumes are gorgeous and the plot is perfectly twisty.

4. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Jim Carrey takes on the serious role of a man undergoing memory erasure to wipe out all traces of his ex-girlfriend. Cheerful! Will he change his mind and recover his memories? Probably, but I only saw this one once and it was a bit too weird for me to attempt it again. Lots of people are serious fans, though, and I’d like to try it again someday.

5. French Kiss. Okay, yes, this one is definitely a chick flick, but it has Meg Ryan and Kevin Klein doing a French accent and wine and silly lines and a very happy ending. Kevin Klein! With a French accent! I recommend this one even to my fellow chick-flick-haters.

Do you have plans for tonight? Are you pro- or anti-Valentines Day? What movies are you watching tonight?

These are good options, and I do love the Princess Bride. I think my list would include Garden State, Amelie, Big Fish, Fantastic Mr. Fox, Up, and maybe Public Enemies (despite a sad ending). Happy Valentine’s! Yesterday was a blast, so glad we got to hang out before I take off again.